泛指羈押重罪犯的監獄。此詞彙最早指稱英國根據西元1779年《監獄法案》（Penitentiary Act）設立之監獄，其中施行嚴格紀律，並要求受刑人進行體力勞動以達懲戒及教化之效。由於現代司法體系中大部分監獄皆有教化或矯治措施，具教化功能的監獄（penitentiary）和一般監獄（prison）之間就不再有所區隔，可以此詞指稱任何監獄。在美國則特指專門監禁重罪犯的州立監獄或聯邦監獄。

監獄(機構)　(P,,U,繁體中文-偏好,D,U,U)
重罪監獄(,U,繁體中文-非偏好,UF,U,U)
chien yü(P,,U,韋氏拼音-偏好,UF,U,U)
jiān yù(P,,U,漢語拼音-偏好,UF,U,U)
jian yu(P,,U,漢語拼音(無聲調)-偏好,UF,U,U)
penitentiaries(institutions)　(P,,U,英文-偏好,D,U,PN)
penitentiary(institution)　(,U,英文-非偏好,AD,U,SN)

藝術與建築詞典根目錄
....代理者層面
........組織 (層級名)
............組織 (群體)
................機構 (組織)
....................<依活動區分之機構>
........................矯正機構 (機構)
............................監獄 (機構)

locational context/setting is....	監獄(建築物)
meaning/usage overlaps with....	監獄(機構)

英文....

Generally refers to prisons for those convicted of major crimes. The term derives from the type of prison authorized by the British 1779 Penitentiary Act, enforcing strict discipline and hard labor intended to reform as well as punish. Given that, in modern systems, most prisons include reformatory or correctional functions, the original distinction is lost and the term "penitentiary" often refers to any "prison" in common usage. In the United States, penitentiaries are state or federal prisons that are reserved for the detention of convicted felons.

監獄(機構)............	[AS-Academia Sinica]
.................	YAHOO!奇摩字典 August 3, 2015
.................	遠流字典通 August 3, 2015
.................	Cambridge Dictionaries Online August 3, 2015
重罪監獄............	[AS-Academia Sinica]
.................	AAT-Taiwan 借詞編輯與使用原則 (2013)
penitentiaries(institutions)............	[VP]
.................	Black's Law Dictionary (1951)
.................	Rush, Dictionary of Criminal Justice (1986)
.................	Hamlin, Forms and Functions of 20th Century Architecture (1952) 854
.................	Random House Dictionary of the English Language (1983)
.................	Sturgis, Dictionary of Architecture and Building (1902)
.................	Standard Industrial Classification Manual (1987)
.................	Handbook of Correctional Institution Design (1949) 15
.................	Canadian Thesaurus of Construction Science and Technology [online] (1995)
.................	LC Subject Authority Headings [online] (2002-) as a 450 for "prisons"
.................	Oxford English Dictionary Online (2002-)
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-)
penitentiary(institution)............	[VP]
.................	Oxford English Dictionary Online (2002-)

Getty AAT: 300343490 Getty AAT: http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=costume&logic=AND¬e=&subjectid=300343490
聯合目錄： 監獄 、重罪監獄 、chien yü 、jiān yù 、jian yu 、penitentiaries 、penitentiary